Automatic chemical feeder



Jan. 26, 1965 D. R. HOLDREN 3,167,091

AUTOMATIC CHEMICAL FEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 22. 1962 INVENTOR DONALD R.HOLDREN BY 7 71%.;

ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. DONALD R.HOLDREN h 5 ATTORNEYS Jan. 26, 1965 D. R. HOLDREN AUTOMATIC CHEMICAL FEEDER Filed Aug. 22, 1962 United States Patent @fifice 3,167,99l Patented Jan. 26, 1965 3,167,091 AUTOMATIC CHEMICAL FEEDER Donald R. Holdren, West Liberty, Ohio, assignor to Holdren Brothers, Inc., West Liberty, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 218,749 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 137-604) This invention relates to a feeding device, particularly a liquid feeding device and is especially concerned with a liquid feeding and proportioning device which can easily be disassembled for cleaning or adjustment.

In many instances in industry, it is desirable to entrain one liquid in another. For example, detergents or alkalies or acids or other liquids may be mixed with a carrier vehicle such as water for cleaning purposes or for the purposes of carrying out some chemical process.

The present invention is particularly concerned with a simplified arrangement for permitting a plurality of liquids to be selectively entrained in a main liquid stream while simultaneously controlling the rate at which the said liquids are entrained into the said stream.

In connection with arrangements of the general nature referred to, the entraining of the added liquid may be accomplished by passing the carrier or vehicle liquid making up the main stream through a venturi passage so that a low pressure is created in the region of the throat of the venturi; this low pressure is availed of for causing the liquid to be added to be drawn into the main liquid stream.

In many cases, the main liquid stream is hot water, on the order of, say, 150 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, in order to insure good cleaning conditions. Hot water, naturally, has a lower vaporization temperature than cold water, and for this reason when hot water is passed through a venturi passage, there tends to be vaporization of the water, which will reduce to degree of vacuum that is established within the venturi.

It has been found that the vacuum created in the venturi therefore will decrease as the water temperature increases. This leads to variation in the rate at which chemicals, namely, detergents and the like, are entrained in the main liquid stream as it passes through the venturi passage.

After considerable testing and experimentation I have established that this variation in the suction created in the venturi can be minimized by limiting the degree of the suction so that extremely high suctions are never created. For example, with cold water passing through the venturi passage suctions on the order of from 22 inches upwardly can be created, but with hot water this suction might drop to as little as or 12 inches. The present invention is concerned with an arrangement whereby the maximum degree of suction created within the venturi passage is on the order of 10 to 12 inches regardless of whether the main liquid stream consists of hot or cold liquid.

This tends to make uniform and reliable the operating conditions of the device so that it does not become critical at any time, and so the device can be depended upon to supply the right amount of detergent or other chemical to the main liquid stream at all times.

An advantage that is obtained by making the suction to the venturi passage lower and more uniform is that the orifices through which the detergent or other chemicals flow to the main liquid stream can be made larger and fixed. By making the orifices larger, they are easier to manufacture and do not tend to become fogged up and can easily be cleaned when necessary. By making the orifices fixed needle valves and other adjustable instrumentalities that could be tampered with are eliminated, so that the entire device is quite simple and easy to operate.

In connection with the fixed orifices referred to, these are preferably embodied in an easily detached orifice block, so that in the event a change in orifice size is required to meet any particular condition, or to control supply of any particular chemical, the orifice block could easily be replaced, and there would be no necessity of incorporating troublesome needle valves or the like in the system.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the primary object of the present invention is the provision of a simple fluid mixing device capable of operating without adjustment even under widely varying conditions of temperature and rate of flow of the main liquid stream.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a simple liquid mixing device of the nature referred to in which adjustable valves and the like are entirely eliminated.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a liquid mixing device in connection with which necessary modifications can be made to adjust, the particular rates of liquid flow therein even in the absence of any adjustable valves.

Another particular object of this invention is the provision of a liquid mixing device which can easily be assembled and disassembled while remaining fluid tight at all times.

The present invention will be more readily understood upon reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid feeding device according to the present invention with the connections leading to and from the device indicated in FIGURE 5 is a sectional view indicated by line5 -5 on FIGURE 2 showing a flow control element forming a part of the devicei and FIGURE 6 is an elevational view looking in at the device from one side and showing the several components of the device in disassembled relation.

Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, in FIGURE 1, 10 indicates the supply line which supplies the main liquid stream to the device. This main stream of liquid may, for example, be hot water. The pipe, or conduit, represented by dot-dash line 10 is connected to inlet 12 of the main body 14 of the device. The main body also has an outlet 16 that is connected to a conduit represented by dot-dash line 18 that leads to the point of use of the liquid, for example, a spray head. As will be seen in FIGURE 2, inlet 12 has a passage 24} therein leading toward the center of main body 14. The two passages 20 and 22 are joined in the region of the center of main body 14 by a reduced diameter portion 24 which forms the throat of the venturi passage.

Communicating with passage 22 immediately downstream of throat portion 24 of the venturi passage, are laterally extending bores or passages 26 and 2S and each of these passages is about the same size as passage 22.

Each of passages and 28 terminate at the outer periphery of body 14 in a smooth walled counterbore indicated at 30 and 32, respectively.

In each said counterbore is fitted an orifice member 34, 36 respectively, each of which is constructed as illustrated in FIGURE 5 wherein orifice member 34 is shown at enlarged scale.

Each orifice member has a generally cylindrical body 38 with a bore 40 extending therethrough and which bore includes an orifice 42 of predetermined size to be able to control the rate of liquid flow through bore 40.

In the end of the member that is received in the counterbore of the main body part there is an annular sealing ring 46. This arrangement forms a tight seal and, at the same time permits ready removal of the orifice member from the main body portion for cleaning purposes.

The end of each of the orifice members opposite of the main body portion 14 is also provided with a groove 48 and resilient annular sealing ring 15 therein sealing engaging enlarged counterbore52 in a block 54. Block 54 is provided with a bore 56 extending axially through conical projection 58 in block 54 so that a valve seat is formed at the apex of said conical projection. This valve seat is adapted for engagement by a plastic valve disc 60 which has its marginal portion clamped against the bottom of a counterbore in block 54 by a nut 62 threaded into the counterbore. The nut 62 has fixed thereto a sleeve 64 about which is mounted electric solenoid 6d. The solenoid comprises an outer magnetic frame 63 having one end extending over each end of the solenoid to form a magnetic path about the solenoid.

In sleeve 64 is a fixed magnetic element 7t) fixed in the outer end of sleeve 64 and toward the inner end of sleeve 64 is reciprocably mounted another magnetic element '72 forming an armature. The second magnetic element '72 is attached to the back of the valve disc 69 as by a connecting pin 74. A spring 76 bears between the back of valve disc 60 the inside of nut 62, or upon corresponding parts, and serves continually to bias the valve disc into engagement with the aforementioned valve seat.

In this manner communication is normally interrupted between bore 56 in block 54 and space 78 surrounding conical projection 58. Upon energizing of solenoid 66, however, armature 72 is pulled into sleeve 64 and this will lift the connecting valve disc from its seat, thereby to connect bore 56 with space 78.

Space 78 communicates with a liquid inlet 8% which, as will be seen in FIG. 1, is connected by a conduit, represented by dot-dash line 82, with a container 84 containing liquid that is to be entrained in the main liquid stream passing through body 14.

The arrangement at the opposite side of main body 14 is identical with that just described and the block on that side of the valve has an inlet 86 connected by conduit 88 with a liquid supply container 90. The liquid supply containers may contain detergents or alkalies or acids or any other liquids which it might be desired to entrain selectively into the main liquid stream.

The orifice members are readily replaceable so that the proper orifice size for obtaining the correct rate of flow of the liquids can readily be assembled with the device.

An important feature of the present invention is to be found in a suction controlling valve device 92 which, as will best be seen in FIGURE 3, is sealingly but detachably mounted in counterbore 94 in the main body member 14 and which counterbore communicates by way of a passage $6 with the region of the venturi immediately downstream of the throat thereof. This valve device has in the cap 98 thereof a resilient annular seal ring 100 against which a ball valve member 102 is urged by a light spring 194. 7

The bias of spring 164- is such that ball valve member 102 will move downwardly in cap 98 at a predetermined reduced passage on the underneath side of the ball, say, at a pressure of about 10 to 12 inches.

By this arrangement, the amount'of suction created in the venturi passage is limited to such an amount that the main liquid stream will not vaporize, even if it is hot and is being pumped through the device at a high rate of flow. The provision of the suction device also makes predictable the maximum rate of flow of the liquids being added to the main liquid stream when the control Valves therefor are opened.

The entire device described above can be connected to the liquid supply tank and to the main liquid supply line, and to the point of use of the liquid mixture by plastic hoses so that it is a simple matter to make the said con nections and to assemble and disassemble the device for cleaning and adjustment. The device itself can be supported as by a bracket member 106 connected to main body part 14 in any suitable manner.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a liquid mixing device; a main body part having a main flow passage therethrough, a reduced diameter portion in said main flow passage intermediate the ends thereof for creating a low pressure in the main fiow'paS- sage in response to liquid fiow therethrough, other pas sage means extending into said body part and continu nicating with said main flow passage immediately down stream of said reduced diameter portion, said other passage means being counterbored at their outer ends, readily changeable flow controlling members associated with said other passage means having cylindrical projections extending into said counterbores in sliding socket engagement, resilient annular sealing rings on said projections sealingly engaging said counterbores, said flow controlling members comprising orifice members having cjylim drical projections at the ends thereof opposite said counterbores, valves for controlling liquid fiow through said orifice members and including blocks having counterbores therein for slidably receiving the last mentioned cylindrical projections of said orifice members, said last mentioned projections also having resiiient annular sealing rings thereon, a solenoid mounted on each said block for operating said valves, a flow passage extending through each said block, a liquid inlet on each said block connected to said flow passage, said valves being located in said flow passage, and a SJCtiOIl limiting valve connected to said main fiow passage downstream of said reduced di-- ameter portion, said suction limiting valve being normally closed and being operable in response to predetermined reduced pressure in said main fiow passage for opening to permit air to be drawn into said main flow passage 7 thereby limiting the degree of low pressure established in said main flow passage.

2. In a liquid mixing device a main body block member having a first main passage extending therethrough and having a venturi section in said main passage, said main body block member having other passage means communicating with said venturi section, said other passage means being adapted at their outer ends to receive flow controiling members, readily changeable liquid flow controlling members having controlling orifices therein, valve carrying block members with each having a valve controlled passage therein, said flow controlling members joining said block members with said outer ends and connecting the passages thereof, the said flow controlling members having slip joint socket connection with the pertaining block member and saidouter end, and a suction limiting valve connected to said first main passage downstream of said venturi section, said suction limiting valve being normally closed and being operable 0 to open to permit air to be drawn into $21111 main 1521ssage at a predetedmined pressure upon the cooling of the liquid flowing therethrougth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,007,603 Green July 9, 1935 2,039,275 McGrael Apr. 28, 1936 2,461,772 Ray Feb. 15, 1949 2,785,012 Frewin Mar. 12, 1957 10 6 Bau'erlein Mar. 19, 1957 Delano Apr. 30, 1957 Ray Jan. 21, 1958 Reese Apr. 8, 1958 Gray May 13, 1958 Bauerlein Dec. 20, 1960 Deutsch Mar. 7, 1961 Dunn Mar. 21, 1961 Arenhold July 3, 1962 

1. IN A LIQUID MIXING DEVICE; A MAIN BODY PART HAVING A MAIN FLOW PASSAGE THERETHROUGH, A REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION IN SAID MAIN FLOW PASSAGE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF FOR CREATING A LOW PRESSURE IN THE MAIN FLOW PASSAGE IN RESPONSE TO LIQUID FLOW THERETHROUGH, OTHER PASSAGE MEANS EXTENDING INTO SAID BODY PART AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID MAIN FLOW PASSAGE IMMEDIATELY DOWNSTREAM OF SAID REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION, SAID OTHER PASSAGE MEANS BEING COUNTERBORED AT THEIR OUTER ENDS, READILY CHANGEABLE FLOW CONTROLLINGMEMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID OTHER PASSAGE MEANS HAVING CYLINDRICAL PROJECTIONS EXTENDING INTO SAID COUNTERBORES IN SLIDING SOCKET ENGAGEMENT, RESILIENT ANNULAR SEALING RINGS ON SAID FLOW CONTROLSEALINGLY ENGAGING ANNULAR SEALING RINGS ON SAID PROJECTIONS LING MEMBERS COMPRISING ORIFICE MEMBERS HAVING CYLINDRICAL PROJECTIONS AT THE ENDS THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID COUNTERBORES, VALVES FOR CONTROLLING LIQUID FLOW THROUGH SAID ORIFICE MEMBERS AND INCLUDING BLOCKS HAVING COUNTERBORES THEREIN FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING THE LAST MENTIONED CYLINDRICAL PROJECTIONS OF SAID ORIFICE MEMBERS, SAID LAST MENTIONED PROJECTIONS ALSO HAVING RESILIENT ANNULAR SEALING RINGS THEREON, A SOLENOID MOUNTED ON EACH SAID BLOCK FOR OPERATING SAID VALVES, A FLOW PASSAGE EXTENDING THROUGH EACH SAID BLOCK, A LIQUID INLET ON EACH SAID BLOCK CONNECTED TO SAID FLOW PASSAGE, SAID VALVES BEING LOCATED IN SAID NOW PASSAGE, AND A SUCTION LIMITING VALVE CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN FLOW PASSAGE DOWNSTEAM OF SAID REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION, SAID SUCTION LIMITING VALVE BEING NORMALLY CLOSED AND BEING OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO PREDETERMINED REDUCED PRESSURE IN SAID MAIN FLOW PASSAGE FOR OPENING TO PERMIT AIR TO BE DRAWN INTO SAID MAIN FLOW PASSAGE THEREBY LIMITING THE DEGREE OF LOW PRESSURE ESTABLISHED IN SAID MAIN FLOW PASSAGE. 